More bouts are official for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s return to the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut on 28 March 2026.
Former BKB junior welterweight champion Harry “The Hitman” Gigliotti will make his BKFC debut.
Gigliotti (5-0, 4 Kos) will face BKFC veteran Timmy Mason (3-3) in a featherweight (145 lb limit) bout. Gigliotti, a New England native, hasn’t fought since stopping Kallum Skhane last July at BKB 43: Bolton Brawl.
Mason was stopped by UFC veteran Jimmie Rivera this past October at BKFC 82. Mason took the fight on short notice and gave a gritty effort before the fight was stopped in round three. Like Gigliotti, Mason also competed in pro boxing, and defeated Alberto Blas by disqualification in a 2022 boxing match.
Gigliotti won the BKB title in 2024 and successfully defended the belt against Jon Barnard and Skhane. He vacated the title recently.
Rising Lardy Navarro Faces Caruso
Bantamweight prospect Lardy Navarro (4-1) will try to extend his winning streak on 28 March at the BKFC Mohegan Sun event. He’ll face veteran “Slick” Rick Caruso (2-5, 1 No Contest).
Navarro had an outstanding 2025. He won all three of his BKFC bouts, with one of the wins by stoppage. Navarro won his BKFC debut in 2022 but was stopped by Nick Gonzalez at Knucklemania 3 in February 2023.
He was out for nearly two years before he returned with a win over Jack Grady early last year.
Caruso (2-5, 2 Kos) lost to fellow veteran Derek Perez in his last BKFC outing. He won a gloved boxing match by first-round stoppage last October.
Women’s Bout Added Between Ballou and Dagner
A women’s flyweight match up between newcomers Alexandra Ballou and Taylor Dagner is also scheduled.
Ballou hails from the Connecticut area and is a veteran of four professional MMA bouts. The 34-year-old is returning to competition after nearly four and a half years.
According to record keeping site Tapology, Dagner hasn’t competed professionally in any comat sport, although she’s had six amateur MMA fights. She’ll be the younger and taller fighter when the two knuckle up on 28 March.
Also official is a middleweight bout between Pat Casey (2-2) and Zeb Vincent (3-3).
Knucklemania V: “The Animal” Takes on “The Preacherman”
Fan favourite and Pennsylvania local Travis “The Animal” Thompson will see action on the massive Knucklemania VI fight card taking place on 7 February at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“The Animal” takes on former BKB title challenger Joshua “The Preacherman” Oxendine, who will make his BKFC debut.
The rugged Thompson, never in a bad fight, is a true veteran of the sport. He debuted all the way back in 2018 at BKFC 1, where he lost a decision to future champion Reggie Barnett Jr.
He’s also faced Dat Nguyen and former title challengers Jarod Grant and Ryan Reber. It’s the third Knucklemania appearance for “The Animal”, who previously stopped Dave Morgan and Zachary Pannell at Knucklemanias I and V.
Oxendine (3-3) is a combat sports veteran like Thompson, and has competed in pro boxing, kickboxing, MMA and bare knuckle. He challenged for the BKB title in 2023 but lost a controversial decision to Mark “The Shark” Irwin. The South Carolina native, a proud Native American, is nicknamed “The Preacherman” because of his devotion to the Christian faith.
It’s a matchup to look forward to. The aggressive Thompson against Oxendine’s boxing style.
